Third Time is a Charm for Double Dipping Tommy?

I always find it remarkable to hear "conservative" politicians complain about spending too much taxpayer money but then they never seem to pass an opportunity to help themselves to it personally. Take for example Tommy Thompson and his absurd comments about everybody knowing that he was "broke" when he left government. Give me a break, Tommy has been double dipping at the public trough for so long that he has lost touch with reality. Now he apparently wants to triple dip if Wisconsinites give him the chance next week.

After leaving the governorship and accepting the salaried position as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Thompson began collecting his state pension, which he took every year he was Secretary. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/19/2002]

•  In 2001, Thompson took a state pension of $77,748 and earned a salary of $157,000. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/19/2002; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/4/2001] 
• In 2002, Thompson took a state pension of $99,414 and earned a salary of $166,700. [Personal Financial Disclosure Filed 5/15/2003; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 6/22/2002] 
• In 2003, Thompson took a state pension of $91,955 and earned a salary of $171,900. [Personal Financial Disclosure Filed 5/20/2004; San Antonio Express-News, 2/3/2004] 
• In 2004, Thompson took a state pension of $91,955 and earned a salary Of $171,900. [Personal Financial Disclosure Filed 5/19/2005; Washington Times, 5/14/2004]

"Broke" Tommy didn't stop there because he continued taking a state pension even after he went on to make millions peddling his influence for Washington D.C. special interests. In 2012, the Associated Press reported: “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson reported Friday that his net worth is more than $13 million and that he earned more than $5 million in income since 2010.” [Associated Press, 1/28/2012]

Despite his significant wealth and position on multiple corporate boards, Thompson continued to accept his state pension.

• In 2006 he took $137,932 from the state. [Personal Disclosure Form filed 8/13/2007]
• In 2011 Thompson accepted his pension, taking $85,700 from the Wisconsin pension fund. [Personal Disclosure Form filed 1/27/2012]

Tommy has more houses that he can remember and even though he is now referred to simply as "Tommy Inc." apparently Thompson wants to go in for a remarkable triple dip at taxpayer's expense. As with most right wing politicians, you can't rely on their rhetoric, you have to scrutinize their actions. In Tommy's case you need to pay very close attention to his financial investments and disclosures to learn the truth. In this particular case it seems that he just can't get enough public cash to deposit in his own personal account.